MCCC makes child abuse reporting mandatory for all employees

The Montgomery County Community College trustees have signed off on a written child abuse reporting policy.

The policy makes it mandatory for all college employees to report incidents of suspected, actual or directly witnessed child abuse or child sexual abuse to their supervisors.

Employees also can immediately report suspected or actual child abuse to the child abuse hotline at 1-800-932-0313.

Employees in the college’s child care center, dental hygiene clinic and other health disciplines are already under professional mandates concerning the reporting of child abuse.

The written mandatory reporting policy was put together in response to the sex scandal involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is accused of molesting 10 boys including one incident that was allegedly witnessed in a shower on the university’s campus, according to trustee Richard Montalbano.

“We thought it was important to have a written mandatory policy to clarify the reporting of such incidents,” said Montalbano, who heads the board’s personnel committee.

“This is an area that is evolving and we have asked for additional legal education,” he said.